North West law firm, Stephensons Solicitors LLP, is expanding its legal services for businesses in the region with the appointment of Corporate partner, Paula Smith.
Paula, who joins Stephensons’ Bolton office as a partner from DWF in Manchester, has over 12 years’ experience of advising owner-managed businesses, entrepreneurs, partnerships and charities in their commercial deals and everyday transactional and non-transactional activity.
Paula said: “Stephensons is a progressive and ambitious firm which has the same technical offering as many city centre law firms, together with a very client-centred approach. ““There are a large number of smaller and medium-sized businesses in the region which demand the same high calibre corporate advice as a large PLC, however city centre law firms tend to give preference towards acting for the much larger businesses.
“Stephensons provides the platform for me to continue to service this mid-tier business sector, providing a partner-led, city centre standard of legal services but with a strong emphasis on value for money fees, a focus for many in the current economic climate.”
Jonathan Chadwick, managing partner of Commercial Services at Stephensons, said: “Paula’s arrival coincides with our ambitious expansion plans for Stephensons’ Commercial team in Bolton and across the North West. We are delighted to have her on board.
“Our Commercial teams in Bolton encompass solicitors specialising in corporate, commercial property, business disputes, debt recovery, employment and business rescue, recovery and turnaround, making us one of very few firms outside Manchester and Liverpool city centres to have the full-spectrum of Commercial legal services in place. “
The Legal 500, the independent guide to the legal profession, ranks Stephensons’ Corporate team as a top tier firm. The guide says Stephensons is ‘one of the top firms regionally’.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The latest edition of Legal 500 ranks Stephensons as a top 60 UK law firm and the fifth largest legal practice in the North West. The firm has 27 partners and more than 350 staff in five locations across Merseyside (St Helens) and Greater Manchester (Wigan, Bolton, Manchester and Leigh).